Cable question....(kinda' 'bout splitting)...........

[Dooin' it]

OK, so runnin' cable is great and when I had the kid come out to hook up the broadband, I also asked him to crimp an end onto our "never previously used" bedroom cable outlet. So, now we've got cable in..........

family room
master bedroom....(yeah, sports report in bed)
and cable at my computer desk

I took a gander in the cable box thingy on the side of our garage to see how the 3rd was enabled and it looks like he installed a "3-way splitter". Sounds like it does what it implies, so I'm in the garage messin' around & thought how cool it'd be to have a TV hooked up in the garage. I had 2 trains of thought.......

#1.) Tap thru the garage drywall (like the installer did) and have another line in there that I could switch with saaaaay, my bedroom like on the splitter & screw the garage line on that 3rd line on the splitter whenever I want to watch TV in the garage.

#2.) Get a 4-way splitter from Radio-Shack, etc. and all's well???

Reason I ask is I know NOTHING about cable except the obvious and noticed there are some "dB" ratings on this particular splitter.....(2 of the 3 'outs' are 7dB and the 3rd is 3.5dB). I know dB means decibal, but can't relate in this context. Any help??? TIA

[bailey]

its the amount of signal strength for the tap

yes a 4 way spliter is what you want to use, and I would recommend that you also buy a crimper too, don't use the serew on connectors.

[Dooin' it]

so, how do I know which goes where? It appears as though the current "cable guy" has the family room and the internet setup on the two "7dB" outs while the bedroom TV is on the "3.5dB" out.

Now, if you look here............

http://www.radioshack.com/product.as...t%5Fid=15-1235

I can barely make out xxx1, xxx2, xxx3, xxx4 and it looks as though the middle fitting on the side with '3' fittings is/would be the "in" fitting. I can't quite tell if the other 4 fittings actually have "dB" markings.

Any requirements/criteria for which goes to "7dB" fittings and which/what goes to "3.5dB" fittings, or would it not matter??? Thanks again!

Looks like for $9.95 I get some cable in my garage.....yeeehaww!

[bailey]

it really don't matter just take the existing one out and hook the new one in, the only thing that really matters is the quality of the splitter, it must cover up to 1000mhz, like the old one is.

[Dooin' it]

Thanks for the info!!

Got a couple other questions.........

First, notice this guy says that his (Antronix.....which is also what happens to be what I have as my 3-way currently) is the best, blah, blah, because it's not "ONE WAY" like the Radio Shack units. What does ONE WAY version imply???

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...092024964&rd=1

Also, I notice some of the splitters are 5-900mhz and still others are 5-600mhz. Is digital cable only transmitting at the 1000mhz level?? (Just wanna be sure my butt's covered)

Lastly, anything wrong with buying a 6-way or 8-way splitter?? (Shucks, have drill will travel............ALL OVER THE HOUSE......LOL!!!!!) Thanks again!

[bailey]

the only place you need the two way is when you have a cable connection for the computer internet,
the tv with the cable box needs the 1000mhz splitter too.
all the other tv's without the box can use the 900mhz splitter.

every time you split the signal it is also reduced in signal strength by the db marking.

to do the whole house you would want to install amplifer type of splitter to boost the signal, but not on the line that feeds the cable box or the intenet, they must be direct without any thing but the two way splitter.